Event Summary

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is moving away from the Single Assessment Framework and introducing sector specific assessment frameworks.

The CQC will run a structured programme of pilots and testing between June and October 2026, with final evaluation in November 2026. The pilot assessments will run alongside existing inspections, to understand how the draft approach works in practice across different types of services and settings.

This conference will address what your organisation needs to do now, and what the shift to sector-specific frameworks will mean for your organisation.

We are pleased to announce that this timely conference will be chaired by Professor David Croisdale-Appleby, Chair, Healthwatch England and Non-Executive Director, CQC.

Join us to hear the latest guidance from the CQC with practical insights from case study examples from recently inspected providers from each sector, with ratings from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘outstanding’.

With a cross-sector audience of peers,  we will explore how to embed learning from a CQC inspection to ensure your organisation is continually driving improvements in quality across the 5 key areas: Caring, Effective, Responsive, Safe and Well Led.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from senior health and social care leaders, compliance and quality leads, commissioners and policymakers on upcoming changes to inspections. Gain clarity, benchmark best practice and leave with a clear understanding about where CQC regulation is heading and what it means for your organisation today.

 

Key Points

  • Demonstrating quality under the current framework and preparing for inspection under the new framework
  • The reform timetable, pilots and testing 
  • Deep dive into the four draft sector-specific frameworks – key changes for adult social care, primary care and community services, hospitals and mental health providers
  • Understanding how judgements will be made – key lines of enquiryrating characteristics and I statements
  • What outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate will look like under each sector framework
  • Share cross-sectoral learning about how different health and care services are preparing their organisations for the upcoming changes
  • Preparing staff for inspections – how to evidence reflective learning and embed improvement
  • Working with inspectors: practical guidance on the assessment process
  • Managing evidence and documentation ahead of inspection